found. "When you made the statement, we said nothing, one way nor
the other."

"Then why were you surprised when you found the same thing written
there?" asked Bob, somewhat sulkily, as he pointed to the paper George
held.

"We were surprised to find it in the possession of such men," replied
Harnett, with a laugh, "and perhaps also a little surprised to learn
that we could have put so much faith in any one of your assertions. But
now, with such eminent authority on the subject, I am anxious to get
back, and look at the land for myself."

"What are the other papers?" asked Bob.

"They refer to land near Simpson's, which the men have examined and
reported upon carefully, but without finding so many favorable evidences
that a well should be sunk. What puzzles me is, how these men could be
oil prospectors, and at the same time steal a team."

"I think that is simple enough," said Bob, carelessly. "They were
probably prospecting on their own account, expecting to sell their
information after they obtained it. They hadn't any capital of their
own, but when they saw a fine team alone in a shed, at a time when there
was a terrible fire raging, they thought they could steal it without
running any risk. If they had got away with your horses, they could have
raised money enough on them to buy the Simpson property, and once they
struck oil, they would become honest men."

"That's nigh enough to the truth of it," said the farmer, solemnly; and
all the party agreed to accept that as the explanation of what otherwise
would have seemed very singular.

All three of the boys were now more than anxious to return to Sawyer,
that they might learn whether the statement contained in the paper they
had found was true or not.

Considerable labor had to be done, however, in the way of clearing the
farmer's carts from the road, and all the boys went to work at once,
while the owner sat on a rock near by, bemoaning his misfortune in not
having caught the thieves, and in not having signs of oil on his
wood-lot.

By the time the boys had replaced his carts as they had found them, he
came out of his sorrow sufficiently to invite them to remain to dinner,
and he urged the invitation so strongly that they concluded to accept
it, especially since the horses, more particularly George's, needed
dinner even more than they did.

It was a real country dinner they sat down to in the farm-house, half an
hour later, while the horses stood before